truth is not in him."

He adds, "If he love not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen."

If any unbrotherly feeling rankles in any of our hearts, let us before going apart with Christ and His disciples, put it away. Then being in love with God and our brethren, let us come to receive all the rest and refreshing which Christ is ready to bestow, and let us consecrate ourselves anew to Christ's service.

In the words of the Apostle Paul, let me urge that "all wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil-speaking be put away from you with all malice, and be ye kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." May the Lord say to you, when you are apart with Him at His table, in the words of the spouse, "Eat, O friends drink; yea, drink abundantly, O beloved."

"Sweet feast of Love Divine;

'Tis grace that makes us free,
To feed upon this bread and wine,
In memory Lord of Thee.

Here conscience ends its strife,
And faith delights to prove
The sweetness of the Bread of Life,
The fulness of Thy Love.

That Blood that flowed for sin,
In symbol here we see ;

And feel the blessed pledge within,

That we are loved of Thee.

Oh! may I see Thy face;

Thy perfect likeness wear,

And all Thy way of wondrous grace,
Through endless years declare."

Q

XXI

THE GOAL GAINED

"This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

"I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."-PHILIPPIANS iii. 13, 14.

"Stand firm in His great might,

With all His strength endued,
And take to arm you for the fight,
The panoply of God."

MEN who aspire to the fame of having universal genius, regard the man who devotes all his time, energy, and power, to the doing of one thing, as a man of one idea, as a person whose range of intelligence, spirit of enterprise, and power of action, are narrow and restricted. It It may, however, be interposed on his behalf, that if he choose an object worthy of attainment, form a comprehensive plan of accomplishing it, and skilfully direct the forces at his command to that end, he is more likely to succeed, than if he attempted to do several things with the same forces.

Besides, the doing of one thing successfully prepares the way for the like issue in the doing of other things; and one thing of importance may include many which are also important. The Commander of a great nation's army might be said to do one thing, fight his country's battles. But that one thing includes many things both difficult and important. It includes the organisa

tion of an army, the forming of lines of battle, the disposition of troops-cavalry and artillery, as well as infantry, with the moving of them all into effective action. It includes beside the limitless responsibility of having adequate commissary stores always within reach, and in times of active hostility suitable hospital accommodation and medical supplies. Thus while the General's work may be designated the doing of one thing, it is yet manifold and requires the highest mental capacities.

The Apostle Paul, who in our text exhibits such singleness of purpose, such concentration of aim and effort, had few equals and no superiors among the noted people of his time, in breadth of intelligence, thoroughness of culture, and tenacity of purpose. It is not too much to affirm that he was not behind the chiefest of the Apostles in official gifts and graces, and was not a man of one idea; but a man of the most broad and comprehensive attainments and power. When then he turned an impartial and conscientious eye upon, and surveyed his own past Christian life, he found that in many things he came far short of the ideal he was striving to attain and realise. He had not reached it, nor was he perfect, but he ardently desired and earnestly purposed to spare no effort to reach the highest attainments possible to him. Hence he gathers up all his spiritual energies and concentrates them in one sustained and resolute effort to successfully reach the goal and obtain the prize of a true Christian life. Says he, "But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth to those things which

are before. I press towards the mark, i.e. the goal, for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

We have here the example of one who has resolutely entered on the course of a Christian life, who sees great stretches of the course still lying before him, who fully apprehends its strenuous and progressive character, and who is bent on achieving the happiest results possible. I pray that his example may stimulate and encourage all of us, who have entered on the same course, to press forward, with our eye on the things which are before, the goal and the prize of a true Christian life. I ask your continued attention on this occasion to the things which are designated in the text, the mark or goal, the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

First then, let us inquire what is the goal of the true Christian life which we must strive to attain.

The image employed in the text is that of the competing runners in the foot-races of Greece. First there was the starting post. Then the stadium or race-course over which the competing runners contended. Away forward at the distant end of the course, but within view of all, stood the mark or goal toward which the runners looked and which they strove to attain. Around the racecourse stood multitudes of spectators, jeering or cheering, according to their preference or caprice. Then beyond the goal was the prize which was usually a crown or garland of evergreens, which was given to the victor after the race had been successfully run.

Now the Christian life is an active and earnest progression toward completeness of life and character in Christ Jesus. This is the goal, the attaining of which secures the prize or reward, which is bestowed upon the victor. For thus is attained the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. It includes the following attainments, or elements of completeness of Christian life and character, which none of us can yet justly say we have reached. First, completeness in the knowledge of Christ; second, mastery over our spiritual infirmities and adversaries; third, completeness in the service or ministry to which Christ calls us; and fourth, perfect conformity and likeness to Christ.

It is ever true when Christians seek and long for fuller knowledge of Christ, that they know but in part. The standard of knowledge to which they strive to attain is, however, nothing less than perfection. Their calling and aspirations contemplate this. Their capacities and prayers are not satisfied with less. A true and comprehensive knowledge of Christ has sometimes been vouchsafed to seers, prophets, and apostles. How much was included in the "Heavenly Vision " granted to the Apostle Paul at his conversion, or how much in his rapture when caught up to the third heaven, we cannot fully know. We know, however, that he felt the knowledge of Christ to be alluring and inexhaustable. The love of Christ to him and to fellow sinners stirred his heart. He pours it out in earnest prayer, that his converts "might know the love of Christ," though he declares it passes knowledge. Like the angels he looked earnestly into the mysteries of the